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Author Topic: The importance of making a story to sell beer, I mean the importance of place  (Read 5834 times)

Offline hopfenundmalz

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That I-35 between the campus and the airport is a nightmare.
And often all the way down to San Antonio, too. When we fly in and rent a car to go to the Valley, we go through small towns like Lockhart and Luling, which does not suck, as those have some of the top rated BBQ places in TX. Makes for a good lunch on the way down.
Jeff Rankert
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Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline jeffy

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Update:  I was in Austin this past week and I was never able to hook up with this beer.  Every place I went either didn't carry it or they were out of it.  I drank a lot of beers down there but never got the chance to try this one.
Impressions on the ones you had?
I was at the Austin Ale House and had a number of locally-made IPAs and I'll be damned if I can remember who made them.  I'm not an IPA drinker normally so after a few 7.5% beers... things got a little fuzzy.  :D  I did find myself sitting in front of a Fireman #4 a couple times when the beertender would say, "We have a locally made blonde" and then I realized what it was.  It was actually better than I remember from having it last month.  I also had a Hans' Pils by Real Ale (very good) and the Pearl-Snap by Austin Beerworks which was also very good.  I was trying hard not to make this a BEERCATION since I was down there to get my son situated for his freshman year at UT but what I drank was very good.  Austin is a great beer town.
It sounds like you will have more opportunities to explore Austin.

When we first went to Austin it was good, Michael Jackson had it in his top 6 in the US (pocket beer guide). Then the real estate went up and places like Waterloo brewing and The Bitter End went out. Celis then closed. The Gingerman was to be closed, then relocated when they found a space. For a while it was not so good. Now, Austin is a great beer town once again.
I was there a year or two after they changed the old rules and enjoyed Waterloo (I still have a 1/2 gallon growler), Bitter End (their sign is still on the building) and Cellis - got the tour.  Things sure do change with time.  Austin makes for a nice visit these days.
Jeff Gladish, Tampa (989.3, 175.1 Apparent Rennarian)
Homebrewing since 1990
AHA member since 1991, now a lifetime member
BJCP judge since 1995

Offline Phil_M

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I realize the topic has drifted from this somewhat, but I just drew this connection and it's bugging me...

Making a story to sell beer? That's called advertising. Though advertising is not evil, well, we all know about Budweiser's ad department. They rely on stories to sell their beer. Ads are fine, stories are fine, but the beer also needs to be fine. Don't drink something because of the story.

One of our local breweries has a great story. Their beer sucks, is often infected, overcarbed, or showing other flaws. Even the buy local "story" isn't enough to get me to spend money on their beer.
Corn is a fine adjunct in beer.

And don't buy stale beer.

Offline reverseapachemaster

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That I-35 between the campus and the airport is a nightmare.
And often all the way down to San Antonio, too. When we fly in and rent a car to go to the Valley, we go through small towns like Lockhart and Luling, which does not suck, as those have some of the top rated BBQ places in TX. Makes for a good lunch on the way down.

Nearly everywhere in Austin has really bad traffic. When my wife and I get down there for a weekend we plan out our days by trying to drive to one area and stay there the entire day and do a different area the other day. It's not the areas are physically that far apart but it can take an hour to move a few exits on 35 even on a Saturday afternoon in the summer. We usually move hotels as well to further minimize the driving.

That drive down to San Antonio can be brutal. Worth it if you can tolerate the traffic.
Heck yeah I blog about homebrewing: Brain Sparging on Brewing

Offline Village Taphouse

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I realize the topic has drifted from this somewhat, but I just drew this connection and it's bugging me...

Making a story to sell beer? That's called advertising. Though advertising is not evil, well, we all know about Budweiser's ad department. They rely on stories to sell their beer. Ads are fine, stories are fine, but the beer also needs to be fine. Don't drink something because of the story.

One of our local breweries has a great story. Their beer sucks, is often infected, overcarbed, or showing other flaws. Even the buy local "story" isn't enough to get me to spend money on their beer.
Phil:  I agree.  The story can be entertaining but the beer needs to be good.  I don't appreciate a story that's not true or a story that has a bunch of nonsense in it but I'm fine with the story.  Clearly marketing and advertising are very powerful things... we all know what the largest-selling imported beer in the US is right? 
Ken from Chicago. 
A day without beer is like... just kidding, I have no idea.

Offline dilluh98

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Re: The importance of making a story to sell beer, I mean the importance of place
« Reply #50 on: September 08, 2016, 02:43:49 pm »
Most recent FB post from Strangeland Brewery:

"The #Austinite is a postmodern take on the pilsner using Sterling hops--an American form of the Czech Saaz."

Postmodern?! GTFO 

::)  ???